These women didn't win gold because they're
sweethearts. They did it because they are athletes. Hell,
they're world champions. And yet, the publication chose
to describe them using a favorite word of
catcallers and patronizing bosses — a word that pays exactly
zero tribute to their intense commitment and
athleticism.

The poor word choice is emblematic of sexist media coverage
that female athletes often face. Sure, sexism in sports media
is sometimes inadvertent — but its presence is undeniable,
and the examples from the Rio games alone are astounding.

It comes as no surprise that a new Cambridge University
study found hard evidence of this sexist bent in sports coverage.
The study analyzed more than 160 million words from
newspapers, academic papers, tweets and blogs,
and found male athletes are three times more
likely to be mentioned in a sporting context than female
athletes, CNN
reports. Female athletes, by contrast, are more often
described by their marital status, age, or
appearance.

It's probably immensely frustrating for the athletes.
And it's no wonder that when Serena Williams
was asked about being the "greatest female athlete of all time,"
she replied by saying: "I prefer [...] 'one of the
greatest athletes of all time.'"

Serena Williams has faced
sexism in the media for years.Clive
Brunskill/Getty Images

The US women's gymnastics team has also been
subject to sexist coverage at the Rio
games. When they were seen laughing and talking during the
team final, a commentator said that the women "might as
well be standing around at the mall."
In an awkward interview with NBC last night, Bob Costas
largely failed at asking Simone Biles and Aly Raisman about their
gold- and silver-winning flour routines, instead steering the
conversation to Biles' celebrity crush.

Commentators have also repeatedly described
Biles' greatness by comparing her to male athletes.
(She responded by telling
a reporter, "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael
Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles.")

But this People magazine cover line might take the cake.

Biles and Team USA didn't endure years of grueling training and
competition because they wanted to be sweethearts. They did
it because they wanted to be great athletes — and
that's what they are. Let's celebrate them for that.